In accordance with a local Russian law that requires technology companies to store some user data on servers within the state, new filings reveal that Apple stores some iCloud information on local Russian servers. While the information stored is apparently limited to full name, address, email and phone number, Apple says more information is stored locally from their Russian employees.
A solar array at one of Apple’s existing data centers in North Carolina
Update: Business Insider reports that the decision has been further delayed. The planning body An Bord Pleanála has said that it won’t be able to reach a decision now until 11th August as it needs more time to consider the impact of the infrastructure needed to support the data center.
Apple has responded to environmental objections to its planned $950M data center, arguing that the proposed development is necessary, would meet projected demand for the next 10-15 years, and would pose no risk to the local environment.
Although Apple was initially given the go-ahead for the center, construction had to be delayed when appeals against the decision were filed. The planning body, An Bord Pleanála, asked Apple to respond to five concerns, and Business Insider has now seen a transcript of the company’s oral response …
Apple is reportedly working with Chinese server vendor Inspur as it seeks to bring the infrastructure for its cloud services in-house.
Apple currently relies on third-party companies to host its cloud content, most of the capacity currently provided by Microsoft and Amazon Web Services, with Google also recently joining the roster. However, the company is said to be working on developing its own data network and infrastructure in a project codenamed McQueen.
While part of the motivation will be cost, it was also recently reported that security is another significant consideration, Apple being concerned that servers received from third-parties may have been tampered with prior to delivery …
Update: Galway Independent (via Business Insider) reports that a hearing date has now been set, for Tuesday 24th May. The venue has not yet been confirmed.
Apple’s plan to build one of the world’s largest data centers in Ireland hit a stumbling block earlier this month when local residents filed objections. The planning body, An Bord Pleanála, said that it would be pushing back its decision from February to May in order to consider those objections.
Business Insider reports that An Bord Pleanála has now written to Apple’s consulting engineers, asking them to address five concerns …
When you download or stream content from Apple – be it Apple Music, an app or an OS X update – that content is often delivered by a third-party Content Delivery Network, or CDN. The idea is to allow you to download it from a server close to you to maximize download speeds. It now appears that Apple is moving more of its content delivery in-house, as the company brings more data centers online.
Business Insider notes that Apple’s main CDN company, Akamai, has warned shareholders that it expects to see its combined revenue from Apple and Microsoft more than halved this year. Apple is the company’s largest client.
“Over the last two years, our two largest customers in particular, comprise about 13% of Akamai’s overall revenue. As we look ahead to 2016, we expect these two accounts to still be our largest media customers, and they will contribute about 6% of our overall revenue,” Akamai CEO Tom Leighton said during its earnings call […]
“This seven point change in contribution results from their increased do-it-yourself, or DIY efforts,” Leighton said.
BI cites this as a further hint that Apple is gearing-up for its own streaming TV service. While the move would make sense either way, recent reports have suggested that the company is hard at work on securing the necessary deals, NFL ‘Thursday Night Football’ among them.
Apple is reportedly preparing to build a second data center cluster in Reno, with a major new one in Ireland said to be on hold following community concerns. The company’s own CDN went live in 2014, and was first used to roll out iOS 8.
Apple has announced that it will be spending €1.7B ($1.92B) on two new European data centers, each of which will be among the largest in the world at 166,000 square metres (1.8M square feet)–three times larger than the company’s North Carolina facility.
One will be in Ireland, the other in Denmark, with each set to begin operations in 2017. Apple says that the facilities will provide online services across Europe, including the iTunes Store, App Store, iMessage, Apple Maps and Siri.
We are grateful for Apple’s continued success in Europe and proud that our investment supports communities across the continent,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “This significant new investment represents Apple’s biggest project in Europe to date.”
As with all of Apple’s data centers around the world, the new centres will be powered entirely by clean, renewable energy …
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[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHsXH6CO8Tg]
After showing more journalists around its solar-powered North Carolina data center (where it is building a third solar farm), Apple says that its new focus for renewable energy is its supply chain. The Guardian reports that the sapphire factory in Arizona forms part of this initiative.
The company is also moving to install solar and geothermal power at a plant in Mesa, Arizona that has been manufacturing sapphire glass. Apple would not directly comment on the Arizona factory but the state’s governor, Jan Brewer, has publicly praised the company’s decision to relocate there and to use solar and geothermal in manufacturing.
Apple’s VP of environmental initiatives Lisa Jackson said that the company is conscious that its supply chain cannot claim the same green credentials as Apple itself …
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Google data centre at Eemshaven (photo: computable.nl)
iPhoneclub (translation) says that Apple’s rumored plan to build a new data center in Netherlands are now focusing on the town of Eemshaven.
Eemshaven is an ideal location due to the high-speed transatlantic fiber optic cable link to the USA. Google already has a 10,000 square meter data center in the town, and it is believed that Apple has already been granted outline planning permission for its own center …
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